This invention relates generally to an electrical power generating system and more particularly, to a system in which a magnetic flux linked with a conductor is periodically varied to induce an electromotive force therein.
Because of the high and ever increasing cost of fuels used to generate electrical power, a need exists for more efficient generators of electrical energy. One promising approach to electrical energy generation contemplates the use of magnetic blocking devices to periodically interrupt a magnetic field and thereby generate electrical current in a conductive sensor. Suitable magnetic blocking devices include superconductive materials that exhibit the Meissner effect. Prior electrical energy generating system of this type are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,564,307 and 4,385,246. Disadvantages of prior Meissner effect systems include limited electrical output potential and less than satisfactory efficiency.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved electrical energy generation system utilizing a magnetic blocking mechanism for periodically interrupting a magnetic field.